More Thrifting: Vintage BKF Butterfly Chair for Kitty?

Look what I scored on Craigslist from a very nice lady in Silverdale?!  A truly vintage Butterfly Chair (complete with faded cover)!!  Not sure who has made this, as there are no markings to be seen.  However, I am SO happy this isn't one of those HIDEOUS knockoffs that has a bunch of stupid connectors at the intersections of the wires.  This baby is WELDED together...

AS IT SHOULD BE.

Yes, I know...the wrinkles are actually my fault.  I let the cover sit in the dryer too long.  I was too excited to put it to use to iron the wrinkles out.  I just KNEW this would be an excellent chair for the Kitty cat.  I picked it up yesterday...upon waking this morning, I caught little Miss. Kitty lounging in the butterfly!  See how curled-up-comfy she looks...?

 

Of course, she lost interest in my and the camera PRETTY quickly when she decided it was time to return to her napping with a very obvious YAWN.  Translation:  "be off with you, Human!  Leave me to my beauty sleep!"

Leave her alone I did.  

 

Although I would like to replace this with a leather sling, I plan on starting out with a Mongolian sheep's wool throw or lumbar pillow, plus a little round pillow in either jet black or an eye-popping color.  I am leaning towards the black because I have SO much color going on in this room it's ridiculous!

XOXO.

 

 

MORE Thrfiting... Vintage Pottery!

I have been meaning to post about these two vintage finds the past few weeks...but meaningless things such as work and cleaning really take my precious time away from my posts.  I would MUCH rather have a four-day work week.  This 5-days-a-week thing is SUCH a drag...!  ;-)

The first one is an old Stanford Sebring piece, which I purchased off ETSY.  Founded in 1945, the company only produced pottery until 1961, when a fire destroyed the factory.  I LOVE the pink and black combo! I don't know anything about the blue tray, only that it has been hanging out at my favorite thrift mall since its opening.  So I finally bought it.  :-)

Thrifty! Vintage Hot Air Balloon PRINT!

Look at this amazing print I scored at Goodwill last Tuesday!  The print itself if very uplifting, although I do plan on changing the frame sometime down the line...as my budget permits!

I stuck this in my yoga room/office for the time being, as it coordinates TOO well in the main room and I am trying to get away from perfect color coordination.  It always ends up too thematic and matchy-matchy for me, so I try to blend a couple themes and color schemes in each room.

It looks like an old Serigraph-type print, but I really have very little clues of its history.  There is the last name "Carter" on the lower right hand corner, but that is pretty much it.  One of the balloons has "Double Eagle I" written across it.  I am really curious where this came from...anybody out there that knows anything??

XOXO.

What We Did on Mother's Day

We took a walk down to the creek...this part belongs to our neighbors.  Our side needs some work (CLEAN UP).  And we have yet to tear down a ramshackle cabin (think Seattle's Hoover City during the depression...)  A tree during the last storm took care of some of the demolition work.  SEE:

 We (I mean CALLIE) enjoyed a dip in the creek.  That dog was happy to the Nth power!

She even enjoyed shaking it ALL off...

And here is the biggest trip of the day...there was an Airstream parked near our cabin (ON our property).  SILLY me thought it was a Mother's Day present!!  But NO, it turned out someone parked her Airstream on our property because she didn't have ANYWHERE ELSE TO PUT IT.  She basically bought it, turned the "for sold" sign over, then wrote us a note "dear neighbor, sorry for parking here without your permission..."

 

RIDICULOUS, RIGHT?!?!?!

Luckily, it's gone...but it came very close to me selling it off.    So anyway, NOW my husband has a VERY clear picture of what I want:  Airstream, DWR edition.  Yup, I'm going for the big bucks on this one...it'll be WAY cooler than this, but I thought I'd share a picture of the rogue Airstream regardless, so you all could see how AWESOME these look in a little clearing in the woods.  ENJOY.

 

XOXO.

 

 

Little A's New West Elm Princess Bed!

Dear Mom and Dad,


I am so sorry but I have not had the time to post anything lately.  As a result, I have a high backlog of posts which I intend on sharing with you.  Although I am using a FIFO strategy to post (first-in-first-out, aka chronological order), my first of many is actually the LAST one.  This is Little A's new bed which we put together last night, while she was away at a special "parents' night out" daycare event.

Be prepared to be AMAZED.

Are you ready?

HERE

WE

GO

(!)

Here is our little SPECIAL girl...

Of course, after this moment, I was unable to capture any "still life" moments.

It was ALL a BLUR.

WHEW!!!  That was exciting!

Sources:

Bed:  West Elm, "2X2", full, white.  First one came damaged, West Elm promptly sent me a replacement and had UPS pick up the first one (luckily I only had to rip a little section of the box off to see the damage, so the first bed was pretty much packaged as it came).  Overall, for the price, I am happy with what I got (20% off bedroom sale!)  It is about a 3/4 step above IKEA  ;-)

Comforter/sheet set:  Style & Co. brand, (Macy's), VERY old design my Mom bought me at a clearance sale.  **Thanks Mommy**

Crochet Blanket:  Goodwill, similar ones can be found easily (yet more pricey) @ ETSY.COM

Pillows:  down alternative, 2 sets of 2, on sale for under $13/set at COSTCO!

Smaller blanket (on top of crocheted one): Goodwill/Dwell Studio for Target.  You can find similar mod designs still...

Mosquito Net Canopy:  OVERSTOCK!  $22 (with shipping).  WAY better than driving to *and having to deal with* IKEA.  My only complaint: product was described to come with a RATTAN hoop online, however came with a plastic one instead.  Still works fine, but I expect product descriptions to be accurate, and that people know what they are selling (probably not Overstock's fault...I believe the responsibility falls to the vendor actually supplying the product through Overstock.  DUH)  

Sunday Night Dinner: Smoked Gouda Mac N Cheese!

I am pretty proud to say I executed a successful dinner tonight!  Little A and I devoured our food (daddy joined us late, but liked the dish as well  :-)

See below for the BEFORE pictures...Recipe at end of post!

I was SO impressed with my ability to "wing it" on this recipe that I broke out the Vintage Eva Zeisel China!

(A gift from my husband for our anniversary).

(Now I don't have to pay for Crate and Barrel Knockoffs)!

Plus. Crate and  Barrel can't touch the original "Fantasy" pattern.  ha!

 

 

RECIPE:

A couple Tablespoons of Butter

3-4 cloves garlic, minced (or you can add more!)

2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour
I think I used around 1 cup of milk...start with 1/2 cup
about 1 cup of shredded smoked Gouda (once again, start with 1/2 cup, then add the rest slowly!)
some Parmesan cheese (real or "dried").  I added as I saw fit...

3-4 cups of chopped, rinsed, somewhat dried spinach
cracked pepper
8-10 strips of turkey bacon, chopped up.  YUM-O!!
Pasta.  I used around 3/4 of a 17.6 package of organic Penne from Costco.


First I sauteed the garlic in butter for 30 seconds.  
I added the flour, cooked that about a minute or two.
I added the milk (not all at once!)
Then the cheeses (not all at once!)
Some cracked pepper...the cheese gives the sauce enough flavor so I chose to skip on additional salts!

Once I got the sauce to the consistency I desired, I added the chopped fresh spinach.  Don't forget to mix the spinach into the sauce so the leaves wilt down enough. Afterward, add in the cooked pasta and crispy turkey bacon pieces.  

VOILA!!  
Yummy-yummy-in-your-tummy!

If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes for you.  Remember, no true measurements here to HAVE FUN experimenting!!

XOXO.


  




  

Kitchen Progress: The Coffee Counter!

Super quick post to share some kitchen progress.  The tile has been grouted, and the marble windowsill has been completed.  All that is left is some simple buffing of the tile, and a sealant for the marble once the grout in that area is 101% dry (next week sometime...)  See below!

 

Homework Time!

Little A doing her homework (tracing letters).  This was cute so I thought I'd post it.  I really need to try editing my pictures but I have yet to decide on an editing program.  Also holding off until I can get a new computer.

By the way, that is the new Eames wire chair I got a hold of...remember I had to purchase an Eames low rod base for the Elephant Hide shell because I was taking it off its Eiffel base?  Well, you can't really tell, but the vintage Eiffel base is now on the new Modernica wire (craigslist buy!).  

FINALLY: The Eames Low Rod has ARRIVED

Hello Beautiful...what's your name?

Low Rod Pretty Chair, you say?

Yes, I talk to my chairs.  They are like my babies.  That Modernica Low Rod base I ordered FINALLY came in the mail.  Their shipping department was "backed up" so this teeny tiny little base didn't ship for a WEEK after I placed my order!!  Of course, when I called to inquire Ingrid was SUPER NICE.  And, it's Modernica.  So I didn't care.

Modernica is super careful with their shipping, the base was very nicely packed and it was sent via Signature Only through UPS.  (Total Bummer for someone who WORKS when the UPS truck comes by.  I had to stop at their DC in Fife to pick up the package in person).  I had waited SO long, but it was well worth the wait!

The new black Modernica base went on one of my OLD Herman Miller Shells in Elephant Hide.  Now it looks so hot and sleek sitting all low to the ground like that!

This chair previously had a vintage (Herman Miller) Eiffel Base but I needed it for a new Modernica Eames Wire chair TOP that I picked up off of Craigslist (with a $50 price tag, it was WELL WORTH the long-bum drive to Seattle, or as I like to call it "the smoky city that thinks it is cooler than it really is").  HA!

Anyway, enough grumping around.  See below for the little storyboard I put together of my bedroom.  It's missing all the awesome chairs (Bertoia Bird Chair + stool, Eames Wire chair, Grey *vintage* Eames Shell pair) but I think it paints a nice picture nonetheless...see below for all sources. 

Eames Shell, vintage from ebay; Pillow, Edie & Co from Posh 
Home in Tacoma; Black Low Rod Base, new from Modernica; Curtains, IKEA; Flokati rug, IKEA; Dresser, thrifted; Glass Carboy, thrifted from Goodwill; Basket, Rwandabasket.com; jars on windowsill, thrifted or IKEA; wall paint, Winter in Paris Olympic from Lowe's.